FERGUSON: All this week on Things Unseen, we’ve been taking a helicopter ride over Paul’s letter to the Romans, and today we’ve come to the final section, chapters 12–16. So far, we’ve seen Paul expound, first of all, that righteousness is lacking in gentile and Jew; and then second, that righteousness is provided for us in Jesus Christ; and thirdly, that God’s righteousness has been established in both Jew and gentile in His providential ways in history. And now, in these closing chapters, he wants to teach us how righteousness is realized in the lives of Christian believers, how it’s applied.
In other words, he’s now answering the question, How does this gospel work out in our lives, not least in the capital city of the Roman Empire? Well, everyone who has ever benefited from the ministry of Ligonier knows the significance of Romans 12:1–2: the gospel transforms us as we yield ourselves to the Lord without reservation because our minds are renewed through it by the truth of the gospel. It’s in this way that we learn to understand and discern the will of the Lord, and then our lives begin to manifest the righteousness to which we are called.
I think we can summarize Romans 12–16 by saying it teaches us about the application of righteousness in a series of concentric circles. First of all, in the different spheres in which we live the Christian life, we learn personally and individually to have a sober estimate of our gifts, and then we use them for the blessing of others (12:1–8) . And the way we engage in personal relationships with others then begins to change, wonderfully (12:9–21).
We’re called to a sincere love—love, literally, that isn’t hypocritical, that doesn’t pretend—and yet, not a weak kind of love, because this love doesn’t tolerate evil, and it has a gritty stickability, as well as a wonderful freedom from self-interest. This kind of love, says Paul, is manifested in our reactions as well as in our actions. So, in 12:14–21, Paul probes how the believer is to react to a series of situations: to persecution, in verse 14, with blessing; to others’ success, in verse 15, with joy; to others’ grief, in verse 15, with tears; to others who are difficult, in verse 16, by seeking harmony; to those who are lowly, in verse 16, without conceit and with pleasure; and to others who do us evil, in verse 17, by behaving with honor.
But how is this possible in a hostile world? Paul answers it is possible because we know that we ourselves have been under judgment and the Lord showed us mercy. And so, we’re able to leave things to the Lord and, like the Lord Jesus, love our enemies.
And then in chapter 13, he speaks about the way in which this new righteousness is expressed in our attitudes to authority. And the basic principle is this: the lordship of Christ liberates us to serve. And we know that God has appointed a twofold ministry for us: one in the state, the other in the church.
The spheres differ, but He is the Lord of both. So on the one hand, the calling of magistrates is to recognize and yield to His lordship. And on the other, our calling is to be faithful and respectful citizens.
This is why Christians should make the best citizens, even the best citizens in a state that is hostile to them. So, the Christian remembers that the law of God is always fulfilled by a life of love. Like Augustine, we put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and we live according to the Spirit, not according to the instincts of our native flesh.
And this in turn leads now to another circle, the wonderful teaching in 14:1–15:13. And this deals with how the consecration of 12:1–2 affects our life together as believers, and not least when our practice differs from each other because of our personal convictions—sometimes strong convictions. And here, of course, Paul is especially thinking of Jews and gentiles who had become Christians, but who have different convictions about, for example, kosher food and the observance of the Jewish calendar with its many holy days.
But the principles he enunciates apply more broadly. Freedom is for service, Paul says, and remember that Christ is the Lord of other believers. You are not.
We all stand or fall before Jesus, who is Lord. So, says Paul, be loving, patient, self-controlled, self-denying, and do not ever flaunt your liberty. That’s an important principle here, I think.
You’re only truly free if you don’t actually need to express your freedoms. But if you need to flaunt those freedoms before others, you’re actually still in bondage. And this, then, finally leads Paul to share his hopes for his own ministry—a ministry he trusts will be in partnership with the Romans, and yes, in partnership with the surprising number of Christians that he already seems to know in Rome and to whom he sends his loving greetings.
Well, we’ve described this week as a helicopter ride through Romans. Let me change the imagery. I hope it’s also like one of those tour buses you find in most cities.
We’ve just driven around all the main sites. Now, at least, we’re a little familiar with them, and it’s time to go back to them one by one, spend more time at them. I hope you’ll do that with Paul’s great letter to the Romans, and I hope you’ll have a blessed weekend.
